Ah, it's that time again. Time to count the days until my beautiful, Alice (Highland Hollow Alice, from John & Jane Eager) presents me with her magnificent lambs. 
The "Alice Watch" started 7 years ago when I was worried and insecure about Although everyone reassured me that Alice would be fine and she, herself, seemed unperturbed, I continued my frantic watchfulness each year. My local vet actually came to expect my phone calls, every April. One year I actually timed and recorded Alice's contractions for THREE DAYS!!! Alice, for her part, I must admit, always delivered big, healthy babies (and MANY of them!) without any need for assistance on my part...
The watch continues...
On November 22, 2007, Alice made the acquaintance of Sheltering Pines Crescent Moon. These are going to be some SPECTACULAR LAMBS!!! I no longer have the computer software with which I recorded breeding dates and predicted lambing dates, so I don't have a true 'due date' for Alice. I'm just figuring Mid-April. (getting kind of lackadaisical in my old age, aren't I????) If anyone has a due date calculator and wants to give me a more precise forecast, I'm all for narrowing down the window of time in which I need to be hysterically concerned and fraught with fear and uncertainty. I mean, when I can truly expect the blessed event....Shearing is this weekend. Then you ALL can see how immense this stately ewe gets. Please join me in sending good wishes and prayers for another problem free delivery for my beautiful Alice and her 2008 lambs.
We'll keep you posted!DREAM says....
...."Hey! What am I? Lambchops??? I'm cookin' up some pretty special babies TOO, ya know!"Absolutely, Dreamer! I'm going to be keeping a close watch on you (and all the rest of your friends) as well....
I LOVE the photography!!! And that Alice sure is a looker. Sign me up; I am officially on Alice Watch.
ReplyDeleteAlice is beautiful! I hope she gives you beautiful, healthy lambs. I want shetland sheep so bad, trying to talk my dh into them after we get settled from moving.
ReplyDeleteAlice has been on "our" minds lately...yes, her son asked about her just this morning! ;-)
ReplyDeleteShe'll probably lamb around the 16th or so. Of course, it all depends on when the Honeymoon was. LOL!
Can't wait to see the after pictures when she's nekked.
omg three days of contractions??? how could you tell??
ReplyDeleteThis is Sandra btw, one of the two women who got three lammies from you last season and brought them to MA. The ram will be proud papa soon, too.
Great photos!! I'll keep checking back for Alice updates. Can't wait to see all your gorgeous lambs!
ReplyDeleteI don't even know if your Tsunami and my Lucy are PG. They were in with the new ram from Stephen. The white Justa'litl ewe is pregnant, or she is a real pig. I'm just waiting. Everyone went outside tonight.
ReplyDeleteGood luck kiddo! I'm predicting triplets, April 18th...where's the betting pool being taken??? LOL!
ReplyDeleteNancy: here is an online lambing due date calculator:
ReplyDeletehttp://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/Articles/Sheep/Flock%20Handbook/Gestation.htm
It says that, if actually bred on nov 22, due date would be April 17, with a range from April 8th to April 29th.
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteWell, we got 'er done--the shearing, that is. Everyone, Alice looks like she's ready to deliver NOW, but Nancy says she usually does at this stage--she looks that way for 3 weeks sometimes before the lambs actually come. Count me in on the Alice Watch!
Terry
Terry